Harvey
by Elais
Summary: Anya gets unusual visitors at the Magic Box. Set in Season Six with no spoilers.


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Harvey

Anya was behind counter at the cash register at the Magic Box. It was late in the day and sales were extremely good all day and Anya thought she might close the Magic Box early in order to count all the money. She was about to come from behind the counter to turn the sign to 'closed' when a ringing of the bell signaled that another customer was coming in. She looked across and saw a tall, thin, elderly man standing at the threshold holding the door open. He walked in a little farther and seemed to be holding the door for someone else behind him, but Anya could not see anyone. The man gestured and nodded at something, although nothing was there. He closed the door, turned around and took off his slightly battered fedora. He held the hat in his hands while he looked around with a puzzled look on his face. 

He saw Anya and his wrinkled, but kindly features lit up and he walked over to her. 

"Excuse me, young lady, but is there a place I can hang my hat?"

"No there isn't, but leave it here and I can hold it for you". Anya said, pleased with herself. Xander told her that if she did something nice for the customers, they were more likely to buy something. 

"Is there something I can help you with?" Anya said, struggling a little bit on the word 'help'. 

"No, thank you, miss. Harvey and I saw your shop and thought it looked nice so we decided to come in.

We've only been in town for a month and find it most interesting."

"Harvey?"

"Forgive me! I haven't properly introduced myself. My name is Elwood P. Dowd, newest resident of the Sunnydale Retirement Community. And this is Harvey." Elwood looked around and apparently spotted someone.

"Harvey! Could you come here please? I'd like you to meet this lovely woman". Elwood smiled and looked up at a spot in the air a foot or so above and next to him. He moved his arm and placed an open palm about waist-high to the right of him, as if he had his hand on the back of someone. He looked up and gestured to Anya with his other hand saying.

"Say hello to, um, what is your name?" he said with a twinkle in his eye. 

"Anya," said Anya attempting to keep an expression of "What the heck is this" from her face. 

"Lovely name. Harvey, say hello to Anya." Elwood said guessing with his other hand as if in introduction.

Elwood beamed as 'Harvey' apparently said hello.

"Harvey says hello and thinks your shop is very interesting".

Anya was a little discombobulated. She could deal with the appearance of just about any kind of demon or monster, but wasn't quite sure what to make of Elwood and Harvey. Perhaps Harvey was a ghost of some kind, that would explain it. 

She smiled and said "Nice to meet you Harvey, I hope you spend lots of money, er, time here". At least she hoped the ghost had money, it didn't look like Elwood had a whole lot to spend himself.

"Thank you, I'm sure we will have a enjoyable time here." Elwood placed his hat on the counter and started the familiar browsing pattern. Walking around here and there, looking at the books and shelves. 

As Anya watched him, she noticed that he talked to Harvey and was pointing out various interesting items. He also seemed to be listening for his responses, nodding and answering back. Anya shrugged and started emptying out the cash register. She felt that they wouldn't be buying anything, and they would just looked around the box like a museum. She didn't mind, as Elwood and Harvey seemed quiet and harmless enough.

She suddenly heard Elwood exclaim in a worried voice. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please don't get upset. I'm sure there is a good explanation for this. Perhaps they are not real." Anya walked over and wondered what the problem was. 'They' were at the charms and trinkets section of the Magic Box. Elwood in particular was trying to shove the jar of lucky rabbits feet farther back in the shelf so no one could see it.

"Is anything wrong?" Anya asked, suspicious that Elwood might be attempting to shoplift the rabbit feet. Not that they were that valuable, but it was still inventory. 

"Harvey got upset about the rabbit feet" Elwood said with a sad look on his face. "He has a personal interest in rabbits and seeing only their feet has upset him terribly.

"The feet are not real, they are just fake bunny feet. No one makes or wants real dead bunny feet for a lucky charm." Anya said with a shudder. She hated the bunny feet herself, even if they weren't the real things. Although she didn't mind the thought of bunnies having no feet, that meant they couldn't do their evil hopping thing.

Elwood relaxed a little, patted the air next to him and said "See Harvey, the feet aren't real ones. I know you think that it is terrible that anyone would find the severed feet of rabbits lucky, but people can be like that. It is just the way people are. I'm sorry miss, but I think Harvey is still a little upset. I'll think we should go. Please don't think that this is a reflection on you or your fine establishment, but Harvey is sensitive to these things.

"No problem" Anya said, a little curious as to how rabbits feet could upset a ghost. "Just let me get your hat and you can leave right away." Drat, Anya thought, that didn't sound right. Oh well, she just wouldn't mention it to Xander. She didn't want another lecture from him. Besides, he would be happy to see all the money I've made today.

She walked over to the counter and grabbed Elwood's hat. She turned around and gave Elwood his hat since he followed right behind her. Elwood took the hat and tipped it to her before putting it on his slight disheveled head. 

"I hope you have a pleasant afternoon and evening, sorry to have been such a bother to you." He said as he turned back and grabbed an invisible arm. Glancing up at an invisible face, he said

"Why don't we go to that nice ice cream parlor just up the road, Harvey? We can get you that wonderful carrot ice cream special they have there." He walked arm in invisible arm with Harvey and held the door out to Harvey.

"Be careful about your ears, Harvey, you know you are at least seven feet tall with them". He said as he 'saw' Harvey out the door. Just before Elwood walked out the door himself, he turned back and said.

"Don't you worry about Harvey, Miss Anya. You see, some of Harvey's relatives are no longer 'with us' shall we say and Harvey thought they might have ended up as just feet. Hope to see you again soon."

As he closed the door, Anya felt her stomach start to turn. Seven feet? Ears? Rabbits as Relatives? She had a six-foot invisible rabbit in her shop? Anya placed her hand on her forehead, feeling a little faint. She steadied herself on the counter and tried not to scream at the picture of what Harvey looked like. She paused and started looking for the whiskey Giles said he had hidden behind the counter. Anya she might not be up to do the orgasm thing with Xander tonight. And that was truly frightening. 


End file.
